Australia’s Opals have sent a brilliant pre-Olympic Games message, smashing fellow powerhouse China 94-66 in Melbourne.

The Chinese, ranked No.2 in the world, came in at full strength with the Aussies missing their top WNBA talents like Ezi Magbegor.

Yet the Opals upset the visitors after dominating from the opening minutes, in the first of two warm-up games as they prepare to finalise their squad for Paris.

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The hosts took a 23-15 advantage into quarter-time with Alice Kunek leading all comers with nine points (4-from-4 shooting).

Darcee Garbin lit up the second quarter, sitting on 12 points from five-of-six shooting, joined by Isobel Borlase (10 points, 4-of-4 shooting) as the Aussies led 45-36 at the main break.

Borlase, just 19, put on a “complete display” according to commentator John Casey as she made an impressive push for Olympic selection, helping the Aussies run away with it from there.

She finished with 19 points (8-12 shooting) with three threes plus three assists and three rebounds in 21 minutes, while Kunek also had 19 points (8-10 shooting).

Cayla George had eight rebounds while Lauren Jackson, who started the game, had 13 points and three rebounds but shot just 3-of-10.

China heads into Paris 2024 ranked second in the world, with the Aussies third, in an Olympic group which includes Canada, Nigeria and France.

Two teams plus a potential third will advance from that group into the quarter-finals, a stage where the Opals have been eliminated at the last two Olympics.

The Opals won bronze in London and silver in Sydney, Athens and Beijing. They also finished third in the 2022 FIBA World Cup, played at home.

Earlier this year the Opals went 2-1 on a tour of China against Wednesday night’s opponents.

OPALS STARTING LINE-UP

Tess Madgen, Maddy Rocci, Alice Kunek, Cayla George, Lauren Jackson

CURRENT OPALS SQUAD (WNBA players unavailable)

Amy Atwell, Zitina Aokuso, Isobel Borlase, Darcee Garbin, Cayla George, Lauren Jackson, Alice Kunek, Tess Madgen, Lauren Nicholson, Steph Reid, Maddy Rocci, Marianna Tolo